List of converts to Buddhism
The following people are converts to Buddhism. They are organized alphabetically by last name. Form Abrahamic religions From Christianity *Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - famous actor of Nigerian descent *Robert Baggio (born 1967), an Italian footballer (former Catholic) *Orlando Bloom (born 1977), actor *Ajahn Candasiri (born 1947), Thai Buddhist nun from Scotland (from Christianity) *Pema Chodron (born 1936), Tibetan Buddhist nun from New York (form Catholicism) *Thomas William Rhys Davids (1843-1922), British scholar of the Pali language *Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle (1898-1990), religious teacher (Father of Hugo Lassalle, SJ, remined a Roman Catholic and a preist, though he was also a Zen teacher) *Junius Richard Jayewardene (1906-1996), First President of Sri Lanka, and former Prime minister. *Steve Jobs (1955-2011) -- co founder of Apple Computer, Inc. *Charles R. Johnson (born 1948), Political cartoonist, novelist, and Buddhist writer who converted at 14. (from Methodist Episcopal Church) *Irvin Kershner (1923-2010), American film director. *Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907), founder of Theosophical Society at New York, and first well known person to convert to Buddhism. He helped bring a resurgence and renaissance of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. *Wayne Shorter (born 1933), saxaphonist *Herman Vetterling (1849-1931), American mystic (from Swedenborgianism, but he maintained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversion) Islam *Wong Ah Kiu (1918-2006), her conversion from Islam became a legal issue in Malaysia at her death. *Surya Das (born 1950), Lama who founded Dzogchen Foundation and Centers. *Tetsugen Bernard Glassman (born January 18, 1939), American Zen Buddhist roshi and co-founder of the Zen Peacemakers. *Jack Kornfield (born 1945) teacher in the vipassana movement of America Theravada Buddhism. *Sharon Salzberg (born 1952) meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. From Indian religions From Hinduism *B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), converted from Hinduism, an early leader of the Dalit Buddhist movement. *Ashoka the Great (277-232 BCE), converted from Hinduism, Indian emporer and early convert to Buddhism. *Asvaghosa (?80-?150 CE), Indian Buddhist figure, philosopher- poet *Balachandran Chullikkadu (born 1957), Malayalam language poet from Kerala *Jagdish Kashyap (1908-1976), Buddhist monk. *Laxman Mane (born 1949), Dalit author and social worker. *Udit Raj (born 1958), Prominent Indian social activist and Buddhist polemicist *Rahul Sankrityayan (born 1893-1963), Hindi author and translator *Iyothee Thass (1845-1914), Siddha practitioner and leader of the Dravidian movement From other or undetermined *Anne Hopkins Aitken (1911-1994), of of the early leaders of Zen Buddhism in the West, co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha *Robert Baker Aitken (1917-2010), co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha *Reb Anderson (born 1943), Zen teacher *Alistair Appleton (born 1970), British television presenter *Stephen Batchelor (born 1953), writer *Kate Bosworth (born 1983), American actress *Ajahn Brahm (born 1951), Religious teacher and student of the late Thai monk Ajahn Chah. Currentlyl he is in the abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastary, Perth and spiritual advisor to many Buddhist societies and organizations in Southeast Asia and Australia. *John Cage (1912-1992), English charity founder, festival co-founder, and fundraiser *Arabella Churchhill (1949-2007), English charity founder, festival co-founder and fundraiser. *Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer/songwriter/poet *John Cook (1930-2011), British ethologist *U Dhammaloka (1856-1914), Buddhist activist in Burma. *Ernest Fenollosa (1853-1908), An American professor of philosophy and political economy at Tokyo Imperial University. *Richard Gere (1949), actor and activist of Tibetan causes. *Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), poet *Natalie Goldberg (1948), writer *Herbie Hancock (born 1940), Jazz pianist who has also released funk and disco albums. *Christmas Humphreys (1901-1983), Founder of the Buddhist Society. *Joseph Jarman (born 1937), Jazz musician and Jodo Shinshu preist. *Miranda Kerr (born 1983), model *David Bowe, British musician *k.d. lang, canadian singer *Jet Li (born 1963), actor *Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter *Menader I (died c 130 BCE), Greco-Buddhist king. (from pre-Christian Hellenistic religion) *Dennis Genpo Merzel (born 1944), Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center *Ole Nydahl (born 1941), Lama teacher *Tenzin Palmo (born 1943), Nun of Drukpa Kagyu linage. *Steven Seagal (born 1951), actor who was proclaimed a tulku. *Oliver Stone, American film director *Sharon Stone, American actress, producer, and former fashion model *Ajahn Sumedho (born 1934), Most senior representative of the Thai Forest Tradition in the Western hemisphere. Abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monistary in the UK. *Tan-luan (6th century to 7th century), Chinese Buddhist monk important to Pure Land Buddhism (from Taoism). *Robert Thurman (born 1941), Buddhist preist and writer who has been called "The Billy Graham of Buddhism". *Tina Turner (born 1939), American singer-songwriter, dancer and actress who has won eight Grammy Awards. *Philip Whalen (1923-2002), Beat generation poet and Zen monk. *Adam Yauch aka MCA of Beastie Boys (August 5, 1964 - May 4, 2012), American rapper, songwriter, film director, and human rights activist.